Today I made soup. It is a simple soup and I thought it needed something extra so I whipped up some Parmesan and parsley dumplings. They worked very well. (I forgot to wipe the bowl clean, I would be eliminated from MasterChef)
- 1 1/2 cups small dry pasta
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 sticks celery, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
- a little oil for frying
- 4 cups stock, chicken or vegetables
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet, drain and set aside.
- Put the oil in the pan over a medium heat and sauté the onions, garlic and celery for 10 minutes, so the onion is transparent but not browned.
- Add the stock and carrot and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and cook for a further 8-10 minutes till the carrot is tender.
Optional dumplings
- 1 cup self raising flour
- 60g butter, diced
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tbspn milk
- chopped parsley
- 125g grated Parmesan cheese
Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using the tips of your fingers. It should be as fine as breadcrumbs. If you give the bowl a shake, any big lumps come to the top. Stir in the grated cheese and parsley.
Make a well in the centre and add the egg and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Swirl to mix and then gradually stir in the flour. It should be not too sticky, not too dry. Add a little more milk if you need.
Roll the dumpling mixture into walnut or ping pong sized balls and drop gently into the boiling soup after Step 2.